The moral index finger is once again in position
To coincide with the start of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, critics are naming the supposed "elephant in the room": how can COP28 take place in the country that is one of the world's largest oil exporters? One answer: precisely because of this.
If you stick to the good old adage of "tackling the root of the problem", Dubai should be exactly the right place to turn all the "brown" into more "green", even from the perspective of critics.
Instead, organizations such as Greenpeace are "deeply concerned" that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Industry, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, has been chosen to chair the conference. Why? For example, because al-Jaber is also the head of the state oil company ADNOC. Critics see a contradiction here. Ultimately, the Sultan and therefore the UAE are primarily concerned with keeping their business profitable.
It is undisputed that the group - like all corporations as a rule - intends to continue growing. It is also true that the UAE benefits enormously from its massive oil exports. But what could be better for our planet than for a country that is one of the world's biggest oil giants to host a conference aimed at saving the climate? The UAE therefore has a special responsibility. And the Gulf state's climate targets are also special: the United Arab Emirates wants to become climate-neutral by 2050. Without a doubt, this is an ambitious plan. But still: the Emirates have already invested more than 40 billion dollars in renewable energies. And the trend is rising. Water on the mill? Perhaps. Or maybe not.
The UAE may have catapulted itself to become one of the richest countries in the world thanks to its oil exports. But the basic rule is: where there is demand, there is demand. Germany was one of the ten largest oil consumers in the world in 2022. The UAE is not one of our main suppliers. However, this does not change the fact that we import large quantities of oil in this country to keep our industry and economy running. As one of the most successful industrialized nations in the world, we are inevitably part of a climate-unfriendly raw materials club consisting of suppliers and buyers. So which country would have been an appropriate host for this year's UN Climate Change Conference?
The accusations made by the BBC are also used by critics as an argument to criticize the UAE as a host country. According to these allegations, the United Arab Emirates apparently wanted to conclude new oil deals at the climate conference. Exciting questions here: With which countries will these deals be concluded? And will we be just as critical of these countries?
Either way, as with so many issues of our time, the green finger should remain flexible.
Amidst the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates, questions arise about the country's role as a major oil exporter. Regardless, participating in the conference provides an opportunity for the UAE to demonstrate its commitment to transitioning from brown to green energies.
Despite Greenpeace's concerns about the UAE Minister of Industry, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, chairing the conference due to his ties to the oil sector, organizations like the UAE are crucial in leading the global shift towards climate neutrality.
Source: www.ntv.de
